This spot is so easy to miss since it is on Vine and not on the Main Street but you'll be missing…read moreout if you don't go looking for it! I dropped in on the weekend for a quick recharge and had to try one of their specialty matcha drinks. I ordered the matcha coconut cloud with mango and it was perfect. Sometimes cloud drinks seem a bit watered down but they perfected the ratios here. The matcha cloud was smooth and every sip had the sweetness from the mango. Also, their backyard patio space is amazing! I have to come back one day to try their brunch menu.

This place is good for the aesthetics. The cafe is beautiful, with a nice, spacious interior, and a…read morelarge, beautiful exterior with ample seating. There are two large restrooms and some seating out front on the curb as well. The food and drinks look nice, are plated well, and the baristas are very talented at latte art. However, the coffee was not great. I wanted to like it, but the espresso was very watery and almost imperceptible. I get that a cappuccino would be milky, but it just wasn't good. They get bagels from a local restaurant (Boichik Bagels), and it was fine. I honestly don't think it's worth the price though. I really wanted to like this place. It's very well designed and they have good branding, aside from the AI matcha sign, which looked pretty unappetizing. The workers are very efficient and nice, so I was hoping the food and drinks would match the quality. I think this is a good place to go and take pictures or for events, but if you're going for the food or coffee, there's much better cafes around.

This place is my family's go to spot for not scones..., but pancakes…read more I remember coming here in defeat after finding out La Note's wait was far too long. But ever since then, this spot has become my favorite for breakfast. It's something about their pancakes, because they seem to nail it on the head. Super fluffy inside, but a bit crispy outside, and it tastes the perfect amount of buttery. The blueberry is my favorite if you're leaning toward something less sweet, but my family's favorite is not on the menu, it's the banana pancakes. We usually just ask the waiter and they'll make it, but sometimes they may be out of bananas though! Yes, the scones are delicious, but the pancakes are the star!

Random find since I was in the area and just wanted pancakes. There's also scones? Say less. I…read moreordered a June's omelette with a short stack on the side. Plenty of food for a normal person, still a good amount for an endurance athlete. Pancakes were plump and fluffy, soft and moist too. That was the first thing gone before I touch my omelette. I ended up picking regular sourdough with my breakfast, but there is an option to switch to a scone with your breakfast. Nothing to go to town about on the omelette, it was satisfying in portion and in flavors. It's a very standard item. Overall, this spot was pretty laid back, with friendly servers. Seats feel a bit too cozy for my liking, but the place is screaming mom and pop diner.

I had them make a custom cake for a friend's birthday. It was beautiful and delicious. I'd…read morerecommend them for custom cakes. They are related to the Bench Cafe on MLK near University. They have great baked goods too.

I went in the morning, so it was kind of quiet. I love the stillness and the ambience that it had…read more This is a great place to get some reading or writing done. There is no Wi-Fi, so make sure you have hotspot. The latte was yummy, not sweet at all, which works depending on the person. The basil and cheddar biscuit was amazing! I will definitely be back here again. Also on Wednesday mornings from 10 AM to noon, they have readings, so feel free to bring your children to check it out.

Damn, I just missed my bus, and the next one isn't coming for an hour. That's how I came upon this…read morepopular corner spot already bustling late in the morning. It comes from the team who owns the excellent Rose Pizzeria nearby (review: https://yelp.to/EOBUVdaW9G). That was enough of an endorsement for me, so I decided to try a light lunch here. As I was waiting patiently to order, I quickly read online that the Bartavelle was the bagel sandwich to order here since it's a staff favorite. Conveniently they offer a half-sandwich for $7.50, so I ordered a fennel & orange half-bagel with an herb schmear, sheep's milk feta, fig jam, cucumber, radish, herb salad, za'atar, olive oil, and lemon. Although it was crowded, I managed to secure the last empty seat at the front counter. My open-faced bagel was quite a healthy sight to behold (Photo 9). Fresh and crunchy with the fig jam lending welcome sweetness. I ordered a $5.50 Cappuccino, rich and smooth, a nice complement to the bagel (Photo 8). Made the next bus, too. FOOD - 4 stars...fresh, tasty ingredients on a soft bagel AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...very much a convivial social hangout SERVICE - 3.5 stars...everything done fresh with minimal interaction TOTAL - 4 stars...nice dooption for a light lunch RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/MBKMAXggN_

Super super cute spot along with tasty bagels!!! Located on a somewhat busy street, however, there…read moreare plenty of street parking around. We ordered the turkey deluxe & the gold standard. The bagels were delicious and the toppings were so fresh. I thought the coffee was delicious too, I'm def interested in some of their wine options the next time I'm there towards the afternoon. Service was friendly and kind. Can't wait to come back.

Brief Summary: - Located near the BART station…read more- Unique coffee, tastes like there is noticeable fruit notes - Coffee is not sour - Interior and exterior seats available - Simple and super tasty dishes that are perfect for breakfast or brunch What I loved most about this cafe is the food dishes, so I'll start here first. When I go into a cafe, dishes usually include sandwiches, baked sweets, pancakes or waffles. But there are times when I look at the menu and I'm trying to wake up, so I want a simpler menu. Here, they have the toast with butter. Yes, this is the perfect dish for the moment that I tend to have when choosing the first meal of the day. I also love their other menu, which is the toast with a canned fish. The cafe also sells these alongside coffee beans. The toast is sliced thick with a generous smear of butter. The toast surface has a golden shine from the melted butter. Every bite has a juicy butter taste. On the side of toast is a side of a beautiful semi-boiled egg with a runny yolk -- my favorite type of way to eat yolks. Next time, when I visit here, I will definitely try the canned fish and eat that for breakfast. That is another good breakfast menu I would love to have and try with a cup of coffee.

I've been here a handful of times over the years, usually for a meeting or because I desperately…read moreneeded caffeine before entering Trader Joe's. I'll give it to you straight. The good: Their vanilla latte is genuinely good. Flavorful, balanced, and not overly sweet. The food is decent too. The bad: Why is a vanilla latte pushing $7 these days and still arriving nowhere near the top of the cup? When I asked about it, I was told it's just one ice cube short of the normal volume. But consistently? Maybe that's what they mean by Ain't Normal. My bigger issue is the service. Maybe I've caught them on off days, but the staff has consistently come off with a bit of attitude. Nobody needs a parade when they order coffee, but a little warmth goes a long way, especially when you're charging specialty coffee prices. At the end of the day, the coffee is good enough that I've come back more than once. I just wish the cups were fuller and the customer service matched the quality of the drinks.

While many of the bakeries on College Ave. have lines out the door on any given morning, those who…read moreare in-the-know start to line up at Nabolom before 11:30 AM as the bakery gets ready to serve its artisanal pizza-of-the day. I made the ~20 minute trek from the Rockridge Bart station and arrived a little after 11:30. While there was already a line out the door, the efficient ordering system kept it moving quickly. Since the bakery is a grab-and-go operation, the storefront features a display case so customers can see what's available for the day and place their order when they reach the front of the line. The pastry offerings were limited, but I was there for the pizza - the flavor posted for the day was a roasted tomato, broccolini, red onion, and feta/mozzarella combo. When it was my turn to order, I was handed a slice of pizza that was fresh from the oven and piping hot. I was surprised that the generous slice cost around $6. (note: they only accept cash if your order is less than $10). As soon as I paid, I pulled over on the sidewalk near the bakery to enjoy my pizza slice. When I unwrapped the foil, I was delighted to find a "bonus" mini slice stacked on top of the larger slice. In addition to tasting incredibly fresh, the blend of cheeses with roasted seasonal vegetables was hearty and excellent. The broccolini was a unique topping that gave the pizza a peppery, horseradish flavor, and the thin crust was chewy with crispy edges. I'm sure I'll be back for their pizza or to try some of the other delicious-looking pastries.

I seriously love the concept of this place and was glad that a friend suggested it for a…read morepre-holiday foodie crawl. We lined up about 15 minutes after they started serving pizza at 11:30 AM on Saturday and didn't have to wait long to place our orders. I got a slice of the daily special pizza (a farm-to-table style vegetarian pizza) and a pistachio snail pastry. This place is takeout only, so we stood outside after ordering to devour the straight-from-the-oven hot pizza. My first impression of the pizza was that it's very artisanal. The vegetables tasted like they were picked fresh the same day, and the crust tasted like it was from flour that was just milled. Very few places offer up an experience this close to the source. While commuting back home, I enjoyed the pistachio spiral pastry while waiting for the train to come. It was equally as good, and the prices at Nabolom can't be beat. My pastry was less than $6, and the pizza was priced similarly, which feels like a steal in the Bay Area. It's nice to have a place that focuses on quality and keeps prices affordable by implementing a takeout only business model.

Best sandwich I've had in a long time. I had the steak and arugula. Best brownie,…read morealso - I only had a little, since it's mostly butter, it will take me several days to finish. Service was not super fast, but everything was fresh, so can't complain. We sat outside, which was nice, but there isn't much shade, so bring a hat and sunblock if you pick that option. Would definitely go back.

Can't believe I am just now finding this place! Probably one of the best tuna salads I've had…read more Super fresh, and the ratios of ingredients are perfect; doesn't overdo it with mayonnaise. The bread. Each of the three sandwiches had different breads, but all were incredible. This place understands a great sandwich, and every single ingredient was fresh, high quality, and absolutely delicious; bacon and turkey were thick, tuna was fresh, bread was hearty, peppers were freshly roasted. We didn't order any basked goods, but we realized that was a mistake once we stepped into the restaurant. The variety and size of each baked good really stood out. Friendly, prompt service, cute atmosphere. I absolutely will be back, more than once.

Friendly staff and good food. We will return again. We came on a recommendation from a friend and…read moreare glad we did.

Strolling around the perimeter of Aquatic Park can be nice if you don't mind hearing the constant…read moreroar of the freeway traffic on I-80. I wasn't aware that on weekends you can buy a cup of coffee at a semi-hidden window of the main boathouse, the dockside building that's surrounded by the colorful kayaks (photo: http://bit.ly/2ri3Tbs). It's not just any coffee as their beans come from local artisan roaster Artís. Well, la-dee-freakin'-dah. Still an Iced Coffee cost only $3 (photo: http://bit.ly/2PuDZJk), and there were a few randomly placed benches and chairs where you could park yourself for a spell. Remember they're open only from 10 to 6 on Saturdays and Sundays so plan accordingly. COFFEE - 4 stars...it's Artís so there's that AMBIANCE - 3 stars...well, the water is nice if you don't mind the sludge that accumulates (not sure where the water comes and goes) SERVICE - 3.5 stars...everything through the window TOTAL - 4 stars...nice respite if you happen to be there when they're open RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2CbVh8u